Work with a small group of your classmates to choose a favorite food, such as pizza or an orange that can be divided into sections.

On a large sheet of drawing paper, use Crayola Erasable Colored Pencils to draw the food. Draw lines to divide it evenly into sections or slices.

Now, use the Erasable Colored Pencils to take turns erasing the food, section by section. Each time you erase a section, write at least one way to mathematically represent what you did. For example, if you start with 10 pieces, and erase 2, you might write 10 –2 = 8, or 2/10 = 1/5, or 20% is gone (or 80% is left). Use addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication to show your calculations. How many different ways can you express the action mathematically?

Fill your paper with equations, fractions, and other mathematical statements each time you erase another piece.

LA: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade level topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

LA: Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain specific words and phrases, including those that signal spatial and temporal relationships.

LA: Present claims and findings, sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details to accentuate main ideas or themes; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

MATH: Understand the place value system.

MATH: Use equivalent fractions as a strategy to add and subtract fractions.

MATH: Solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of fractions referring to the same whole, including cases of unlike denominators, e.g., by using visual fraction models or equations to represent the problem.

MATH: Represent and interpret data.

VA: Intentionally take advantage of the qualities and characteristics of art media, techniques, and processes to enhance communication of experiences and ideas.

VA: Select and use the qualities of structures and functions of art to improve communication of ideas.

Students groups exchange drawings after the first change has been made from the whole (ex: one slice of pizza has been take from the pie). The second group identifies the fraction taken (or remaining), decimal equivalency, and percentage.

Students collaborate in small groups to determine a systematic process for removing and replacing parts of their drawings to arrive at different values. For example, if students have a pizza with 8 slices and 3 slices are selected, 3/8 of the pie is gone, or 0.375, or 37.5%! Students keep a chart documenting each step in their process and complete the fraction, decimal equivalency, and percentage for each step.

Student groups write division equations. Exchange them with another group. The second group draws a picture to illustrate the division equation.

Students investigate their group, or the class as a whole. What fraction (decimal equivalency and percent) of the students are wearing red today? What fraction do not have red on today? Students create a list of questions that are to be answered using fractions, decimals, and percents.